Why High Speed Rail Makes Sense for Alberta

The province of Alberta has just issued a report on the feasibility of a high-speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton. But the Globe and Mail thinks that even stronger support for the link comes from a report penned by Richard Florida and colleague Roger Martin, that claims that hightened connectivity -- and reduced commuting time -- are keys to economic prosperity. While the link has been studied before,

"...the new report makes an important observation: Enough people would use a high-speed rail service to justify building it, and the faster it is, the more people would be attracted to it. That should tempt some private-sector interest. The economic spinoffs, including jobs, would be great, which should tempt public-sector interest. There are also environmental imperatives."

The newspaper warns the Conservative government of Alberta not to let their report gather dust, but to move without delay to "define a corridor and reserve lands for such a service."